Stencil-cleaning device.



lC. L. BURDICKV. BTENGIL OLEANING DEVICE.

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'Patented Dec. 20, '1910.

K /14 (fnoo'poooepooo-:JOOPQD CHARLES L. BURDICK, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

STENCIL-CLEANING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application filed March 6, 1909. Serial No. 481,774.

To all whom. it may concer-n:

Be it known that I. CIL-unies Il. Dramen, a citizen of the United States. residing at London. in the county of Middlesex. England. have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stencil-Cleaning I)evices, of which the following is a full. clear, concise. and exact description. reference being had to the amfompanving d awings, forming a part of this slwcitication.

My invention relates to a cleaning cr wiping apparatus. particularly to apparatus for wiping and cleaning stencils through which paint or coloring matter is applied to material to be decorated.

Heretofore stencils have been cleaned with rags or blotting material. or wiped with a simple form ot' llexible wiper. which has the effect. when much liquid is present. ot' wiping the surplus color into the openings in the stencil, thus causing discoloration and spoliation of the material to be decorated. In the device ot my invention, provision is made for carrying away the paint or coloring matter immediately after it is wiped up and any accumulation of paint or coloring matter is prevented so that the stencil will be kept. entirely clean and discoloration and spoliation of the material prevented.

M v device comprises a wiping' surface or surfaces adjacent which is an inlet for air. which inlet is valve-col'itrolled and adapted for connection with a suction source so that immediatel)1 after the coloring material is wiped from the stencil. it is carried with the .air and prevented from accumulating.

My invention contemplates a construction in which the valve mechanism is automatically actuated by the use ot the cleaning device itself: that is, the application of the device tothe stencil opens the valve to establish communication between the source of suction and the wiping means, and the re moval of the cleaning device from the stencil serves to close the valve to prevent such communication.

My device is shown in detail in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows my invention in longitu` dinal sectional view. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 shows in detail View a modified form of openings for removing the color taken from the stencil by the wiping means.

The main part or body ofA the device is in the form of a cylindrical hollow casting l,

which contracts at. its front end into a neck 2, which at its end supports the wall 3, which is disposed at an angle, and which may be eastintegral with part 1. The other end et of the part 1 has a reduced part for receiving a hose or other flexible conductor The member 1 carries at its upper end a prismatic casing Q4, in' which a member 251 is adapted to slide. The member 9o is no1'- mally thrust outward 1n the casing 24 by means of a spring Q6 and is prevented from moving in either direction beyond certain limits by a stop screw 27 secured in the member 25 and working in a slit 28' in the casing Q1. The member 25 carries, in a pocket at its outer edge, wiping surfaces or strips 13 and 14 held in place by a rectangular frame 17. The member 9.5 is hollow and its interior is in communication with the opening 18 in the frame 17. A port :29 is formed in the, lower side of the member in such a manner'that. when the member 25 is moved into the casing 24 by pressing the wiping strips 13 and 14 upon the stencil, this port is brought into alinement. with the inlet 12 in the neer 2, and thus communication is established between the source of suction andthe opening 18 formed adjacent to the wiping strips or surfaces. As a result of the construction just described, it is apparent that when the device is applied to the stencil the member 25, which is in effect a valve, is moved to a position to remove the coloring mattei' accumulated at the opening 18, and that the removal of the device from'the stencil permits the spring 26 to move the valve member 25 outward to interrupt the communication between the source of suction 'and the opening 18.

As shown in Fig. 3 the opening 18 may to secure the followingclaims by Letters Patent: i

l. In a device for cleaning stencils. the combination with a handle part having a passageway extending therethrough; of a casing carried by said handle and having member in said casiiier one end thereof open, a hollow sliding valve b, said valve member having one end thereof open and having a .port arranged for connection with said passageway, a wiping member carried adjacent theopen end ofA said valve member, and means tending to hold said Valve member so thattlie port therein will be out of alinement with said passageway.`

2. Ina device for cleaning stencils, the combination with a handle part liaving a passageway extending therethrough, of a casing having an open end carried by said handle, a hollow sliding valve member in said casing and extending outside said `open end, said valve member having an open end and a port for connection iii alinement .with said passageway, a wiping member carried adjacent the open end of said valve niember, springmeans tending to hold said valve member so that the port therein will be out of aliiiemeiit with said passageway, `and means for limiting the movement of said valveniember. l

' 3. Iii a device for cleaning stencils, a supporting frame having a passageway, a valve piece carried by'f said frame for coiiti'olliiig .the continuity of said passageway, said valve piece having an open passageway adapted for communication with said first'- named passageway, resilient iiieansteiidiiig to move said valve piece to close said first-named passageway, and wiping material carried by said valve piece'at the open end of the passageway thereof, said valve piece heilig moved into position to establish communication between said passageways by pressure applied .at said wiping, material.

4. In a device for cleaning stencils, a portable supporting frame, a wipiiigpiece ca rried by the frame, said frame having a passage-way opening adjacent to said piece, and

a valve'in said passage-way automatically operative to open said passage-way when said wiping piece is ap lied to the stencil and for automatically c osirig said passageway when said wiping piece is removed from the stencil.

5. In a device for cleaning stencils, a supporting frame having a passa eway, a valve piece carried by said frame or controlling the continuity of said passageway, said valve piece having a wiping surface and an4 open passageway thereat adapted for communication with saidfirst-named passageway, and resilient means tending to move said valve piece to close said first-named passageway, said valve piece being movable against the tension of said spring into position to establish communication between said passagewavs by pressure applied at said.-

named passageway, and wiping and collecting material carried by said valve piece adjacent the open end of the passageway therein, said wiping and collecting material being fiexible and subject to pressure applied to said frame, and said valve piece being moved into position to tablisli eommuiiii cation between said passageways by pressure applied at said wiping and collecting material.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribeA my name this 26th day of February A. D.

CHARLES LQ BURDICK.

Witnesses ALBERT C. BELL, MARGARET A. OBEIRNE. 

